Arden
06-13-2015, 21:26
Hi;
I am planning to start a section hike from Amicalola Falls Visitors Center on Oct 31. How far north I get will depend on how much snow I run into. I will carry crampons from the start, as they are far lighter and less bulky than snowshoes, and that early I would expect mainly ice, not deep snow on the trail.
My question this, is this:
Does anyone want to make an educated guess as to how far north I will get before I have to stop for the winter?
I am an experienced hiker, but not much winter. I have climbed several peaks in NY state (including Algonquin, the 2nd highest) in winter with crampons and an ice axe without incident.
This is an open-ended plan. I bought an Amtrak ticked from NYC to Gainesville GA, but can cancel up to 24 hours before the train leaves. I did this only because I wanted to lock in the lowest fare available, and have the opportunity to begin at the southern terminus.
There are plenty of other options - like starting in Peekskill NY on the east side of the Bear Mountain Bridge - requiring only a $12 ticket on Metro North. In that case I might get as far as Vermont before I hit the deep snow.
But I have this burning desire to start the trail at Springer Mountain.
Arden
I am planning to start a section hike from Amicalola Falls Visitors Center on Oct 31. How far north I get will depend on how much snow I run into. I will carry crampons from the start, as they are far lighter and less bulky than snowshoes, and that early I would expect mainly ice, not deep snow on the trail.
My question this, is this:
Does anyone want to make an educated guess as to how far north I will get before I have to stop for the winter?
I am an experienced hiker, but not much winter. I have climbed several peaks in NY state (including Algonquin, the 2nd highest) in winter with crampons and an ice axe without incident.
This is an open-ended plan. I bought an Amtrak ticked from NYC to Gainesville GA, but can cancel up to 24 hours before the train leaves. I did this only because I wanted to lock in the lowest fare available, and have the opportunity to begin at the southern terminus.
There are plenty of other options - like starting in Peekskill NY on the east side of the Bear Mountain Bridge - requiring only a $12 ticket on Metro North. In that case I might get as far as Vermont before I hit the deep snow.
But I have this burning desire to start the trail at Springer Mountain.
Arden